Open Source Recruiting: Users vs Committers

“I continue to grapple with the concept of how to treat users of
Open Source projects. Should you be cruel, or kind?

“It sounds like a dumb question–rude hackers who rip users
apart for daring to ask a question in a not perfect way are just
arseholes who need to get off their high horse. Right?

“I’m not convinced. And I’m someone who usually over worries
about being polite. Mostly because the voice inside my head is, I
suspect, the kind of stormtrooper who after the Death Star blows up
for the second time, will be found out of uniform at the Rebel
party selling little burgers of ‘forest meat–mind the blaster
marks on the fur…'”

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